On December 18, 2024, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) announced the results of the AY2024 School Basic Survey (final figures), updating some of the preliminary figures released on August 28.
The School Basic Survey has been conducted every year since AY1948 by MEXT, based on the Japanese Statistics Act, for the purpose of surveying basic matters related to schools and obtaining basic data for school education administration.

Overview of the AY2024 School Basic Survey

1. Survey Date: as of May 1, 2024
2. Survey Targets: kindergartens, integrated centers for early childhood education and care, elementary schools, lower secondary schools, Compulsory Education Schools, upper secondary schools, Secondary Education Schools, schools for special needs education, universities, junior colleges, Colleges of Technology (KOSEN), Specialized Training Colleges, Miscellaneous Schools, municipal boards of education
3. Survey Items: number of schools, number of students, number of teaching staff, number of graduates, pathways after graduation, etc.

Key points of the released survey results are as follows:
(1) Elementary and secondary education institutions, Specialized Training Colleges, and Miscellaneous Schools

1. The number of elementary and lower secondary schools has declined from the previous year, and their student enrolment is at a record low.
2. The number of schools as well as student enrolment in kindergartens, upper secondary schools, and Miscellaneous Schools is down from the previous year.
3. The number of Specialized Training Colleges has declined from the previous year whereas their student enrolment has increased.
4. The number of integrated centers for early childhood education and care, Compulsory Education Schools, Secondary Education Schools, and schools for special needs education has increased from the previous year, and their student enrolment is at a record high.
5. The proportion of female teachers has increased by 0.1 to 0.4 percentage points from the previous year in lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools, and schools for special needs education to a record high.

(2) Higher education institutions

1. The number of students enrolled across universities (approximately 2,950,000) is at a record high, up by approximately 4,200 from the previous year.
2. The number of students enrolled in university undergraduate programs (approximately 2,628,000) went down by approximately 4,500, and the percentage of female students (45.9 %) increased by 0.2 percentage points from the previous year to a record high.
3. The number of junior colleges decreased by 6 from the previous year, with student enrolment (approximately 78,000) down by approximately 8,400.
4. The number of Colleges of Technology (KOSEN) is the same as in the previous year, and the student enrolment (approximately 56,000) went down by approximately 200.
5. The number of Professional Training Colleges decreased by 17 from the previous year whereas their student enrolment (approximately 558,000) has increased by approximately 2,900.
6. The number of female faculty members across universities (approximately 53,000) is at a record high, up by approximately 1,200 from the previous year. The percentage of female faculty members (27.8%) has increased by 0.6 percentage points from the previous year to a record high.

(3) Paths after graduation

1. The percentage of entrants to higher education institutions (universities [undergraduate program], junior colleges [regular course], fourth year at Colleges of Technology (KOSEN), and Professional Training Colleges) against the 18-year-old population* (87.3%) has increased by 3.3 percentage points from the previous year to a record high.
2. The percentage of students who have graduated from university undergraduate programs going on to graduate school, etc. is 12.6%, up by 0.1 percentage points from the previous year.
3. The percentage of students who have graduated from university undergraduate programs entering employment is 76.5%, up by 0.6 percentage points from the previous year.
4. The percentage of students who have completed Master's programs continuing studies/research at graduate schools, etc. is 10.9%, up by 0.8 percentage points from the previous year.
5. The percentage of students who have completed Master's programs entering employment is 78.5%, up by 1.1 percentage points from the previous year.
6. The percentage of students who have completed Doctoral programs entering employment is 70.0%, down by 0.2 percentage points from the previous year to a record high.

Sources:
- School Basic Survey - AY2024 Summary of Results (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology website) [Japanese only]
- Overview of the School Basic Survey (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology website) [Japanese only]

* The '18-year-old population' includes those who graduated from lower secondary school or Compulsory Education School and those who completed the lower division of Secondary Education School 3 years ago.